Self-locking strap buckle

ABSTRACT

A WIRE BUCKLE FOR WEB TYPE STRAPPING MATERIAL IS DISCLOSED WHEREIN THE BUCKLE MAINTAINS PARALLELISM OF THE STRAP ENGAGING ARMS. THIS IS PRIMARILY ACHIEVED IN THE RELATIONSHIP BY THE FORMATION OF A NOTCH BY ONE OF THE BRIGHT MEMBERS WITHIN WHICH NOTCH A DISTAL LEG IS &#34;LOCKED&#34; INTO POSITION.

Dec. 7, 1971 SQMANN SELF-LOCKING STRAP BUCKLE Filed Oct. 5, 1970 FIG Ihilt/ 70/? FIG 2 PM 10 "1mm Has/Q United States Patent 3,624,868SELF-LOCKING STRAP BUCKLE Gert Somann, Centralia Industrial Park, HuronPark, Ontario, Canada Filed Oct. 5, 1970, Ser. No. 77,926 Claimspriority, applicat7ion Canada, Nov. 17, 1969,

6 ,546 Int. Cl. A44b 11/00; B6511 63/06 US. C]. 2474 A Claims ABSTRACTOF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to an improved connector orbuckle for securing the opposite ends of a flexible strap loop which isarranged in taut relation about a package, bail, box or bundle or otherobject that is to be tied.

With the advent and subsequent popularity of nonmetallic strapping suchas nylon, polypropylene, rayon and the like, whether in rope or cordconfiguration, or band or strap configuration, they have brought about ademand for specialized fasteners or buckles for securing and tensioningthe opposite ends, particularly of strap loops, by means of frictionalengagement rather than by means of strapping and sealing tools. As aresult two types of fasteners or buckles have emerged for non-metallicstrapping; those made from a rigid or semi-rigid molded plastic materialand those made from spring wire steel. Both types have seriouslimitations which have unduly limited the full exploitation of theunique advantages of plastic strapping over steel strapping.

Referring to my Canadian patent application entitled Self-Locking StrapBuckle, Ser. No. 47,577, filed Apr. 2, 1969 I disclosed therein a novelbuckle wherein the parallelism of the strapping engaging arms could bemaintained irrespective of the tension achieved.

I have now found that a new configuration of a wire buckle can beachieved which keeps the parallelism of the strap engaging arms incoplanar relationship with juxtaposed oposite sides of the buckle andyet is composed of a standard steel wire than the more expensive springwire steel.

This is achieved by a novel configuration of a piece of wire formed intoa slightly distorted U shaped portion having a (first) distal leg, a(first) proximal leg, and an interjoining (first) doglegged bightwherein the doglegged bight forms a notch which constrains aninterjoining bend between the (second) distal leg and (second) bight ofa second generally U shaped member formed from the balance of the wire.As a result the second distal leg is constrained in parallelism with thefirst proximal leg and with the first distal leg and second proximalleg. This provides a buckle of greater strap holding tenacity than thoseearlier achieved.

The invention therefore contemplates a buckle for use in connection withflexible strapping comprising a single piece of wire formed as follows:

(a) A first generally U shaped portion, slightly distorted, including adistal leg formed from one end of said single piece of wire, a proximalleg, and a doglegged bight, said doglegged bight and proximal legdisposed to form a notch;

(b) A second generally U shaped portion including a distal leg formedfrom the other end of said single piece of wire, a proximal leg, and abight;

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(c) An intermediate wire portion connecting the proximal legs of each Ushaped portion; said two proximal legs and said intermediate wireportion lying in a plane having essentially a U-shaped configurationsaid proximal legs lying parallel to each other as well as parallel tothe first distal leg and to the second distal leg, the ends of saiddistal legs extending across the intermediate wire portion.

The embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of examplereference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a section through the buckle of FIG. 1 along lines 2-2;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the buckle laced with strap material.

Referring to FIG. 1 a buckle 10' includes a first generally U-shapedportion 1'1, slightly distorted, with distal leg 12, proximal leg 13 anddoglegged bight 14. The doglegged bight 14 has two portions 21 and 22interconnected by a third portion 23 which is disposed essentiallyparallel to the proximal leg 13 so that a seat or notch 24 isestablished. A second generally U-shaped portion 15 includes a distalleg 16, proximal leg 17 and bight 18. An intermediate wire portion 19connects the proximal legs 13 and 17 into a U-shaped planar portion. -Itshould be noted that the distal leg 16 and bight 18 are in differentparallel planes (see FIG. 2) and that the interjoining bend 27, betweendistal leg 16 and bight 18 is preferably in a plane perpendicular to theplane of the distal leg 16 and bight 18. As a result the bend 27 is snugto the seat 24. It is this snug relationship between the seat 24 and thebend 27, and the fact that the distal legs 12 and 16 extend across theintermediate wire portion 19 which constrains the distal legs to retainparallelism each to the other as well as to the proximal legs 17 and 13.It will be further noted that the distal legs 12 and 16 lie in one planewhile the proximal legs 17 and 13 lie in a superadjacent parallel planewhich is almost coincident with the first plane such that the distal leg12 lies essentially superadjacent to the second proximal leg 17.Similarly the second distal leg 16 lies essentially superadjacent to thefirst proximal leg 13. It can also be seen that the distal legs 12 and16 are disposed nearer to each other than proximal legs 13 and 17 andpreferably nearer to each other by the diameter thickness of the wireused to form the buckle itself.

The free end 51 of a strip 50 is thread over the distal leg 12 andthence disposed between the distal leg 12 and the adjacent proximal leg17 and thence beneath and around the proximal leg 17 to overlie thestrap 50 essentially as shown in the right hand portion of FIG. 3wherein the strap 50 is shown in its tight position about the distal leg12. The end 51 of the strap should extend at least about one inch beyondthe buckle 10 in order to provide sufficient free strap should there beflexing of the buckle 10 and stretching of the strap 50 duringtightening. The other end of the strap 50, after having been loopedabout a package (not shown) which is to be tied, is threaded over theother proximal leg 13 and thence between the proximal leg 13 and itsadjacent distal leg 16 as more particularly shown in the left handportion of FIG. 3.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed is defined as follows:

1. A buckle for use in connection with flexible strapping comprising asingle piece of Wire formed as follows:

(a) a first generally U shaped portion, slightly distorted, including adistal leg formed from one end of said single piece of wire, a proximalleg, and a (b) a second generally 'U-shape d portion distal leg formedfrom the other end of said single piece of wire, a proximal leg, and abight;

(c) an intermediate wire portion connecting the proximal legs of eachU-shaped portion; said 'tWo proximal legs and said intermediate wireportion lying in a plane having essentially aU-shaped configuration saiddistal legs lying parallel to each other as Well as parallel to thefirst distal legand to the second distal leg, the ends of said proximallegsextending across the intermediate wire portion, wherein the distalleg and bight of said second U shaped portion are connected by aninterjoining bend extending across and snug to said notch. 2. The buckleof claim 1 wherein the distal legs are disposed superadjacent to theproximal legs. 7 '3. The buckle of claim 1 wherein the distal legs aredisposed superadjacent to the proximal legs and disposed from each othera closer distance than the proximal legs are disposed from each other.

i i 4. The buckle of claim '1 wherein the distal legs are disposed supeadia nt to. h .p w m le s an f m; sas

other about the diameter of the wire closer than the proximal legs aredisposed from each other.

5. The buckle of claim 4 wherein said notch has respective side portionsat least as long as the diameter of the wire Y 6. The buckle of claim 1wherein the notch has respective side portions atleast as long as thediameter of the Wire. I

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS PAUL R. G-LLLIAM, PrimaryExaminer US. Cl. X.R. 24-26, 200

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent 3. 62A. 868Dated December 7, 1971 Inventor(s) Gert Sol'nann It is certified thaterror appears in the above-identified patent and that said LettersPatent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the heading insert "assignor to Ferplas Industries Limited" Signedand sealed this 13th day of June 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCI- IER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Off icerCommissioner of Patents ORM PC405 (10-69) USCOMM-DC 50376-P69 9 U 5'GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE I9! O3i6-3IH

